Local Churches Team Up for Free Kids Day Celebration July 12

A new summer tradition is in the making as First Baptist Church and Love Revival Ministries team up to host a community-wide Kids Day on Saturday, July 12. This free event, designed to provide a day of fun for local families, will be held on the grounds of Love Revival Church, a venue chosen for its safety, accessibility, and ample space for kids to run, jump, and play.

“It was just a thought,” said Michael Williams, one of the organizers and a well-known figure in several local civic groups. “We were so thankful for all that William and Nina Huck do for Family Fun Day in May, and we thought, what about something in July focused on kids?”

From that idea, a community partnership was born. Williams approached Love Revival, where he found an immediate and enthusiastic response. “They said, ‘We’ll supply the hot dogs, we’ll supply the hamburgers,’” he shared. “By the end of the conversation, I felt like I was more helping them than they were helping me.”

Patience Walls, who co-leads community outreach efforts at Love Revival, confirmed the excitement. “We’re going to have bouncy houses, and I believe a water slide,” she said. “We’ll have plenty of bottled water for everybody, and hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream, and door prizes.”

One highlight is sure to be a dual inflatable water slide/bounce house combo, a crowd favorite during E. Wilson Elementary’s field day earlier this year. Thanks to a kind-hearted vendor, the inflatable will be back, this time to beat the mid-July heat.

William Huck is also lending his ever-popular dunk tank, another fan favorite that promises both laughs and relief from the summer sun.

The decision to move the event to Love Revival was partly logistical, Williams explained. “It’s a lot easier keeping kids off Chester Street than it is keeping them off Royal Avenue,” he said, noting the increased safety and “span of control” the space offers.

More than just a party, organizers hope the July 12 celebration will become an annual event. “I don’t care who gets credit for this,” said Williams. “I just care that we have a chance to do something really cool. Hopefully it’ll turn into a yearly thing.”

But that’s not all that’s happening in Front Royal.

The summer calendar is packed with family-friendly events, including Rotary Night at the Bing on July 3, a free-admission Front Royal Cardinals baseball game followed by a fireworks display. “Until the fire marshal says no more,” Williams joked, everyone is welcome. “It’s a free night at the Bing.”

Two days later, on Saturday, July 5, the Northern Virginia 4-H Educational Center will host another fireworks celebration, this one accompanied by food trucks, games, live music from the American Legion Band, and the unveiling of Phase 1 of a $750,000 amphitheater renovation.

“It’s five bucks per car for parking, or ten if you want the premium view,” Williams explained, noting that proceeds help cover the high costs of fireworks. “It costs $10,000 to put these on.”

Also ongoing is the Breaking Free addiction recovery group, which meets Mondays at 7 p.m. at Love Revival. According to Walls, the program is growing. “I’ve seen the same people come in who were struggling, and months later they have a joy about them that only God could bring,” she said. “It’s a miracle in itself.”

Love Revival also provides free meals for children every Wednesday from 12 to 1 p.m., an effort supported by community partners like Fox’s Pizza Den. “They’ve helped a lot,” Walls added. “Most people don’t know about it, but they do.”

For Williams, these efforts — from recovery programs to hot dogs and water slides — all point to the same goal. “It’s not a matter of who gets credit,” he said. “It’s that we get to do something really cool for kids in our community. Let’s get it done.”